Probe begins in deadly nursing home fire

Authorities believe smoke killed two nursing home residents.

Authorities believe smoke killed two nursing home residents.

December 14, 2005

ISHPEMING, Mich. (AP) -- Authorities were finding new accommodations Tuesday for elderly residents of a nursing home that caught fire, while investigators tried to determine the cause of the smoky blaze that killed two people. State police identified the victims as Margaret M. Sarasien, 87, of Marquette, and Harry H. Mattice, 79, of Negaunee. The Marquette County medical examiner's office will determine why they died, although smoke inhalation or pre-existing conditions are likely causes, said Rich Rossway, spokesman for Bell Memorial Hospital. The fire broke out early Monday at Mather Nursing Center in Ishpeming Township, about a dozen miles west of Marquette. Detective Sgt. Jeff Hubbard, a fire specialist with the state police, is leading the investigation. "I have detectives conducting interviews today, and I still have some work to do on the scene," he told The Mining Journal of Marquette. Rich Haravala, assistant chief of the township fire department, said many residents owed their survival to the nursing home staffers and community volunteers who entered the hazardous area without protective gear. "It was pretty smoky. We didn't know who was left, so we went door to door searching," said Jim Pearson, who rushed to the scene after hearing about the fire on his police scanner. "The walls were hot, and they got hotter as we got near the fire. But we got them out." He had two aunts in the building, both of whom survived. Nine people were still being treated for smoke inhalation at Bell Memorial, and four were being treated at Marquette General Hospital. Most of the home's 106 surviving residents were sent to other places. Beacon House, a former motel that houses relatives of people getting treatment at nearby Marquette General, took in 16 Mather residents Monday and had room for 10 more, executive director Dave Bammert said. "We have our second floor reserved for Mather residents and their caregivers for the time being," Bammert said. More than 50 beds were available at nearby Warner Creek Residential Care, a former home for the elderly that closed in 2004 but reopened last month under new management, administrator Sara Miller said. Mather was trying to place its residents as close as possible to their homes and relatives -- mostly in Marquette County, administrator Dana Smith said. "We're hoping to reopen as soon as possible, but there are certain guidelines, both state and federal, that must be followed," Smith said.